are diamonds the strongest substance in the universe

[verode]

osmium compounds are harder as diamond...search hardestr diamond in google

 

nanothecnologies give some sustances harder as diamond

[DrP]

Yea - some synthetics can be made harder than diamond now. Some guy I knew made a substance during a project he was on at uni in France. He reckons the hardness was above diamond. Can't remember what it was though - think that might have been some boride as well.

[chao129]

crystals of ultrahard fullerite are harder, as well as rhenium diboride.

[Kaeroll]

http://www.physorg.com/news153658987.html

 

This recent news article seems relevant. For the tl;dr types like myself, apparently wurtzite boron nitride and lonsdaleite both have greater indentation strengths (whatever that means) than diamond.

 

Apologies if this was already posted - didn't have time to read the whole thread!

 

Kaeroll

[Sinistrad]

then whats the hardest substance?

 

I believe, if the question is "What is the hardest substance in the universe?" then the answer would be:

 

The hardest known substance in the universe is the crust of a neutron star.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090506110202.htm

 

 

Of course, that does us little good as it derives its strength from gravity. If transported to Earth, the substance would explode as the electromagnetic force repelled all the particles from eachother. No Neutronium for us, I suppose

[Theophrastus]

In terms of hardest, I'ld actually guess buckminsterfullerenes, as bulldewragh (sorry if I'm spelling that wrong:-() did, as for a recent project i had a rather brief interview with an architect who says that from a structural perspective, the buckminsterfullerene is the strongest shape. Though ultimately, I'ld go for the polymer that makes up a spider silk.

 

Cool FYI for spiderwebs: If you were to take a length of spiderweb polymer, the length of a hair, and fix the two endpoints in space, the strand would be capable of stopping a jumbo jet in mid flight.

[Justonium]

There's a harder substance that is similar to a diamond, but it's formed from graphite being rapidly heated and pressurized, and the only place it forms in nature is on meteors impacting the earth, and very small crystals are formed this way, and with impurities that render them softer than diamond. If a pure crystal could be synthesized, it would be much stronger than a diamond.

In addition to this, there's another compound called rhenium diboride that has a hardness very close to that of diamond, and may also be harder.

[Sisyphus]

In terms of hardest, I'ld actually guess buckminsterfullerenes, as bulldewragh (sorry if I'm spelling that wrong:-() did, as for a recent project i had a rather brief interview with an architect who says that from a structural perspective, the buckminsterfullerene is the strongest shape. Though ultimately, I'ld go for the polymer that makes up a spider silk.

 

Cool FYI for spiderwebs: If you were to take a length of spiderweb polymer, the length of a hair, and fix the two endpoints in space, the strand would be capable of stopping a jumbo jet in mid flight.

 

What you're talking about is tensile strength, basically a material's resistance to being ripped apart. As said above, that's not the only measure of "strength." Certainly diamonds are harder.

 

Also, that fact about spider silk needs to specify a thickness! Any material can stop a jet if it's thick enough. A quick google search turns up that fact, claiming a strand of spider silk once centimeter thick can stop a jumbo jet. (I don't know if it's true, but that's what it says). That's quite strong, certainly, but it's quite a bit thicker than any hair I've ever seen!

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There's a harder substance that is similar to a diamond, but it's formed from graphite being rapidly heated and pressurized, and the only place it forms in nature is on meteors impacting the earth, and very small crystals are formed this way, and with impurities that render them softer than diamond. If a pure crystal could be synthesized, it would be much stronger than a diamond.

In addition to this, there's another compound called rhenium diboride that has a hardness very close to that of diamond, and may also be harder.

 

It's called lonsdaleite.